1. Guide To Symphony Orchestra Instruments: http://www.mathcs.duq.edu/~iben/home.htmThis site provides a complete overview of the symphony orchestra. The site includes a brief history of the orchestra, a typical seating arrangement of an orchestra with size and composition, and most importantly, a brief history, description and sound production with a listening example for each instrument of the orchestra. This site would be a resource for any symphony or instrument unit. Grade Level(s): 3-12
2. Music Notes: An interactive Online Musical Experience:http://library.thinkquest.org/15413This interactive, online musical experience puts the world of music at your fingertips. Theory, History, Styles, Professions, and Instruments are explained fully. You can learn about note reading and chords, and explore historical information spanning from Medieval times to the present. The section on Music Styles is very thorough and gives definitions and backgrounds on all types of music ranging from Caribbean to Rock. It is a site that lends itself well to the exploration of the many facets of music education. Grade Level(s): 3-12
3.Music Magic: A Piano Exploration:http://library.thinkquest.org/15060/ This site consists of online piano lessons by employing a Java keyboard. You can play with the click of a mouse! Endless interactive features allow you to step into the virtual concert hall, organize your practice sessions, or play a variety of musical games. This is an excellent site for piano instruction and can be used to complement traditional piano lessons. Grade Level(s): 2-12
4. Music Theory Corner: http://www.standingstones.com/theorcnr.html This site is focused on an in-depth look at music theory. The following topics are available: A Beginner’s guide to Modal Harmony, Chord Naming, Chord Functions and Bach’s Changes. These topics provide a wealth of information above and beyond traditional standard music theory. It is a great opportunity for students to think “outside the box” when studying music theory.Grade Level(s): 10-12
5.Menchey Music: http://www.menchey.com Menchey Music Service is a full service school music dealer with retail stores in Central PA and Baltimore MD. Their business serves students, parents, and teachers through retail stores, their affiliate rental instrument partners, and a team of educational representative who service school systems every week. Menchey rents and sells band and orchestral instruments, guitars, and keyboard products. They also sell print music and musical accessories. In addition, they provide repair service and musical instruction in their stores and beyond through the Looking4lessons teaching network. Menchey Music is a complete music business meeting the needs of both students and teachers. Grade Level(s): Music Teacher, Students Grades 4-12
6.JW Pepper Music Store: http://www.jwpepper.com JW Pepper Music is one of the most compete printed music suppliers. Pepper offers choral, band, orchestra and church printed music along with piano, instrumental and vocal music. In addition, JW Pepper stocks a variety of technology products and other music accessories. This is a great site for music educators because of the wealth of printed music they offer and the ability to sample music prior to purchasing. Grade Level(s): Music Teacher, Music Administrators, Grades 4-12
7.ChorTeach: Practical Teaching Ideas for Today’s Music Educator: http://acda.org/publications/chorteach American Choral Director’s Association’s (ACDA) online magazine is for choral directors/music educators who are searching for answers and need fresh ideas or techniques to meet practical needs. The ADCA articles presented provide helpful teaching points in a wide variety of topics such as vocal pedagogy, choral techniques, vocalizes for various age singers, boy’s voices, girl’s voices, choral literature, special need singers, classroom management, technology resources and vocal health. This site is a must for all choral directors/music educators as it provides many ideas and techniques that give you a lift and help your singers reach your goals and their personal goals. Grade Level(s): Music Teacher, Music Administrators
8.MENC: The National Association for Music Education: http://www.menc.org MENC: The National Association for Music Education, among the world's largest arts education organizations, marked its centennial in 2007 as the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. Through membership of more than 75,000 active, retired, and pre-service music teachers, and with 60,000 honor students and supporters, MENC serves millions of students nationwide through activities at all teaching levels, from preschool to graduate school. Since 1907, MENC has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. MENC's activities and resources have been largely responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education. MENC is the consummate site for all music educators containing a vast number of resources for all aspects of music education including research, education and advocacy. Grade Level(s): Music Teacher, Music Administrators, Grades 7-12, Parents
9. Music Education Online:http://www.musiceducationonline.org/ Music Education Online is a member services intranet and resource sharing site for music teachers, music directors, performers and parents interested in music programs. Music Education Online is a project of the Saskatchewan Music Educators Association, which is the Saskatchewan "Special Subject Council" for music education recognized by the STF (Saskatchewan Teachers Federation). The site provides teacher-reviewed and summarized links, the Saskatchewan calendar of events in Music Education, advocacy internet suggestions for new users unfamiliar with the net and a commercial music education sales source. This site is the Canadian equivalent of MENC. It is an outstanding resource for both music education and research. Grade Level(s): Music Teacher, Music Administrators, Grades 7-12, Parents
10.CanTeach: Music: http://www.canteach.ca CanTeach contains hundreds of lesson plans, thousands of links, and numerous other resources you will find useful. These resources are categorized into sections including English/ Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Math, Physical Education and the Fine Arts, to name a few. This is a remarkable collection of lessons plans, teaching tools, weblinks and other resources that will prove to be valuable to every elementary teacher. Grade Level(s): Teacher, Grades 2-6
11.Music Through the Ages: http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/02379/ Music Through the ages is a website that simply but effectively provides an overview of music history. Constructed by four middle school students from Holland Michigan, this site provides information in three categories: Time Line, Instruments and Genres. Geared for the elementary level, this initial introduction to music history is a good foundation from which one can begin an in-depth study of music history. Grade Level(s): 3-6
12.San Francisco Symphony Kid’s Site: http://www.sfskids.org/templates/home.asp?pageid=1 The San Francisco Symphony (SFS) Kid’s Site is a great site for exploring the instruments of the orchestra and reviewing music fundamentals. Both aural and visual examples of the instruments can be experienced in addition to a short description of each. Music fundamentals such as the staff, notes, rhythm, tempo, pitch dynamics and harmony and be explored via the “Music Lab.” Grade Level(s): 3-6
13.BBC Orchestra Guide: http://www.bbc.co.uk/orchestras/guide/ The BBC Orchestra Guide is perhaps the most complete website when exploring musical instruments. It provides a description, picture and several listening examples for each instrument of the brass, woodwind, string and percussion families. Unlike other instrumental websites, this site includes the keyboard family and a link to learn more about the conductor. As an added complement, this site provides a section entitled “Learning an Instrument.” Every exploration of the instruments should include an examination of this site. Grade Level(s): 3-6
14. Musically Inclined:http://library.thinkquest.org/C001468F/ Using the ability of the web to teach, Musically Inclined makes music education as enjoyable as music entertainment. The wealth of information offered is outstanding. The library hosts a collection of interesting and informative articles, including interviews with world famous musicians and detailed information on every modern orchestral instrument and its international relatives. The concert hall area contains musical performances of a variety of composers. The interactive pages, allow you to use the web as a true means of education. After exploring this site, you will agree that it is true to its nickname: “the ultimate music resource.” Grade Level(s): 3-6
15.Music Tech Teacher: http://www.musictechteacher.com/ This site is an extension of the music technology classroom at Central Park School in Birmingham, AL. Ms. K Garrett, the author of the site, has been teaching Instrumental Music since 1992. She started teaching Music Technology Classes in 1994. Her second through fifth grade students learn to read, write, compose and publish their music to CD's and the Internet. Student work, pictures and music compositions are on this site. The site is also provides music technology links, quizzes, resources and information to all music teachers interested in using technology to enhance music instruction. As she teaches in-services to music teachers, she posts notes and handouts. This is a great resource for all music teachers as it includes both teacher resources and student activities. The site is engaging for students and teachers alike. Grade Level(s): Teachers and Students Grades 3-12
Music Websites
1. Guide To Symphony Orchestra Instruments: http://www.mathcs.duq.edu/~iben/home.htm This site provides a complete overview of the symphony orchestra. The site includes a brief history of the orchestra, a typical seating arrangement of an orchestra with size and composition, and most importantly, a brief history, description and sound production with a listening example for each instrument of the orchestra. This site would be a resource for any symphony or instrument unit. Grade Level(s): 3-12
2. Music Notes: An interactive Online Musical Experience: http://library.thinkquest.org/15413 This interactive, online musical experience puts the world of music at your fingertips. Theory, History, Styles, Professions, and Instruments are explained fully. You can learn about note reading and chords, and explore historical information spanning from Medieval times to the present. The section on Music Styles is very thorough and gives definitions and backgrounds on all types of music ranging from Caribbean to Rock. It is a site that lends itself well to the exploration of the many facets of music education. Grade Level(s): 3-12
3. Music Magic: A Piano Exploration: http://library.thinkquest.org/15060/ This site consists of online piano lessons by employing a Java keyboard. You can play with the click of a mouse! Endless interactive features allow you to step into the virtual concert hall, organize your practice sessions, or play a variety of musical games. This is an excellent site for piano instruction and can be used to complement traditional piano lessons. Grade Level(s): 2-12
4. Music Theory Corner: http://www.standingstones.com/theorcnr.html This site is focused on an in-depth look at music theory. The following topics are available: A Beginner’s guide to Modal Harmony, Chord Naming, Chord Functions and Bach’s Changes. These topics provide a wealth of information above and beyond traditional standard music theory. It is a great opportunity for students to think “outside the box” when studying music theory. Grade Level(s): 10-125. Menchey Music: http://www.menchey.com Menchey Music Service is a full service school music dealer with retail stores in Central PA and Baltimore MD. Their business serves students, parents, and teachers through retail stores, their affiliate rental instrument partners, and a team of educational representative who service school systems every week. Menchey rents and sells band and orchestral instruments, guitars, and keyboard products. They also sell print music and musical accessories. In addition, they provide repair service and musical instruction in their stores and beyond through the Looking4lessons teaching network. Menchey Music is a complete music business meeting the needs of both students and teachers. Grade Level(s): Music Teacher, Students Grades 4-12
6. JW Pepper Music Store: http://www.jwpepper.com JW Pepper Music is one of the most compete printed music suppliers. Pepper offers choral, band, orchestra and church printed music along with piano, instrumental and vocal music. In addition, JW Pepper stocks a variety of technology products and other music accessories. This is a great site for music educators because of the wealth of printed music they offer and the ability to sample music prior to purchasing. Grade Level(s): Music Teacher, Music Administrators, Grades 4-12
7. ChorTeach: Practical Teaching Ideas for Today’s Music Educator: http://acda.org/publications/chorteach American Choral Director’s Association’s (ACDA) online magazine is for choral directors/music educators who are searching for answers and need fresh ideas or techniques to meet practical needs. The ADCA articles presented provide helpful teaching points in a wide variety of topics such as vocal pedagogy, choral techniques, vocalizes for various age singers, boy’s voices, girl’s voices, choral literature, special need singers, classroom management, technology resources and vocal health. This site is a must for all choral directors/music educators as it provides many ideas and techniques that give you a lift and help your singers reach your goals and their personal goals. Grade Level(s): Music Teacher, Music Administrators
8. MENC: The National Association for Music Education: http://www.menc.org MENC: The National Association for Music Education, among the world's largest arts education organizations, marked its centennial in 2007 as the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. Through membership of more than 75,000 active, retired, and pre-service music teachers, and with 60,000 honor students and supporters, MENC serves millions of students nationwide through activities at all teaching levels, from preschool to graduate school. Since 1907, MENC has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. MENC's activities and resources have been largely responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education. MENC is the consummate site for all music educators containing a vast number of resources for all aspects of music education including research, education and advocacy. Grade Level(s): Music Teacher, Music Administrators, Grades 7-12, Parents
9. Music Education Online: http://www.musiceducationonline.org/ Music Education Online is a member services intranet and resource sharing site for music teachers, music directors, performers and parents interested in music programs. Music Education Online is a project of the Saskatchewan Music Educators Association, which is the Saskatchewan "Special Subject Council" for music education recognized by the STF (Saskatchewan Teachers Federation). The site provides teacher-reviewed and summarized links, the Saskatchewan calendar of events in Music Education, advocacy internet suggestions for new users unfamiliar with the net and a commercial music education sales source. This site is the Canadian equivalent of MENC. It is an outstanding resource for both music education and research. Grade Level(s): Music Teacher, Music Administrators, Grades 7-12, Parents
10. CanTeach: Music: http://www.canteach.ca CanTeach contains hundreds of lesson plans, thousands of links, and numerous other resources you will find useful. These resources are categorized into sections including English/ Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Math, Physical Education and the Fine Arts, to name a few. This is a remarkable collection of lessons plans, teaching tools, weblinks and other resources that will prove to be valuable to every elementary teacher. Grade Level(s): Teacher, Grades 2-6
11. Music Through the Ages: http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/02379/ Music Through the ages is a website that simply but effectively provides an overview of music history. Constructed by four middle school students from Holland Michigan, this site provides information in three categories: Time Line, Instruments and Genres. Geared for the elementary level, this initial introduction to music history is a good foundation from which one can begin an in-depth study of music history. Grade Level(s): 3-6
12. San Francisco Symphony Kid’s Site: http://www.sfskids.org/templates/home.asp?pageid=1 The San Francisco Symphony (SFS) Kid’s Site is a great site for exploring the instruments of the orchestra and reviewing music fundamentals. Both aural and visual examples of the instruments can be experienced in addition to a short description of each. Music fundamentals such as the staff, notes, rhythm, tempo, pitch dynamics and harmony and be explored via the “Music Lab.” Grade Level(s): 3-6
13. BBC Orchestra Guide: http://www.bbc.co.uk/orchestras/guide/ The BBC Orchestra Guide is perhaps the most complete website when exploring musical instruments. It provides a description, picture and several listening examples for each instrument of the brass, woodwind, string and percussion families. Unlike other instrumental websites, this site includes the keyboard family and a link to learn more about the conductor. As an added complement, this site provides a section entitled “Learning an Instrument.” Every exploration of the instruments should include an examination of this site. Grade Level(s): 3-6
14. Musically Inclined: http://library.thinkquest.org/C001468F/ Using the ability of the web to teach, Musically Inclined makes music education as enjoyable as music entertainment. The wealth of information offered is outstanding. The library hosts a collection of interesting and informative articles, including interviews with world famous musicians and detailed information on every modern orchestral instrument and its international relatives. The concert hall area contains musical performances of a variety of composers. The interactive pages, allow you to use the web as a true means of education. After exploring this site, you will agree that it is true to its nickname: “the ultimate music resource.” Grade Level(s): 3-6
15. Music Tech Teacher: http://www.musictechteacher.com/ This site is an extension of the music technology classroom at Central Park School in Birmingham, AL. Ms. K Garrett, the author of the site, has been teaching Instrumental Music since 1992. She started teaching Music Technology Classes in 1994. Her second through fifth grade students learn to read, write, compose and publish their music to CD's and the Internet. Student work, pictures and music compositions are on this site. The site is also provides music technology links, quizzes, resources and information to all music teachers interested in using technology to enhance music instruction. As she teaches in-services to music teachers, she posts notes and handouts. This is a great resource for all music teachers as it includes both teacher resources and student activities. The site is engaging for students and teachers alike. Grade Level(s): Teachers and Students Grades 3-12